Oxygen tent



Mamh 1938-. J. c. STEINER 2,111,74

OXYGEN TENT Filed July 5. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. C. STEINER OXYGEN TENT Filed July 3. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 in @r Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNETED STATES OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to oxygen tents in which persons in need of additional oxygen are housed for treatment.

. The primary object of the present invention 5 is to provide an improved oxygen tent which is designed for application directly to the spring or mattress of a bed so that a patient lying upon the bed may be raised or lowered, as may be necessary, without having to shift the tent as the latter will be raised and lowered at the same time.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved oxygen tent having integrally associated therewith means whereby cooled filtered air may be admitted or whereby medicinal treatment may be administered in the introduced air.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an oxygen tent structure, a novel mechanism whereby a chemical purifier is associated with the tent through which air under forced circulation is made to pass. a

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved oxygen tent structure in which the main portion is formed of rigid material and is provided with windows so that the structure may be shifted upon the bed, as may be necessary, without danger of it collapsing and whereby the condition of the patient under the tent may be constantly. observed.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken. in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

1 In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in perspective of the oxygen tent embodying the present invention, the same being shown with the flexible front portion removed; V

Figure 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the tent structure showing the flexible front wall;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a'sectional view on the line 5-4 of Figure 3, the section terminating short of the bot- 7 tom and of the forward portion of the tent casing; Figure 5'is a horizontal section'on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I generally designates the rigid body portion of the tent structure embodying the present invention, while the flexible sheet-like portion which is connected with the body I and which lies over the body of the patient in the manner hereinafter described, is indicated generally by the numeral 2. The rigid structure I is preferably formed of a suitable light metal such as aluminum and is preferably of rectangular configuration having the vertical back wall 3,. the side walls 4 and thetop wall 5, which extends from the back wall forwardly and downwardly, the top edges of the side walls being arcuate and extending from the top wall to the lower or bottom edge of the side wall in the manner illustrated. This configuration of the side walls gives to these walls, back and bottom edges arranged at a substantially relation and a connecting edge which defines an arc of substantially 90 or a quarter of a circle.

The rounded or arcuate top wall 5 extends only part-way down the arcuate edges of the side walls 4 and has a lower edge 6 adjacent which buttons 1 are secured which facilitate the attachment of the flexible wall or sheet 2 thereto. This flexible 1 wall or sheet lies loosely over the opening formed beneath the lower edge 6 of the top Wall 5 and between the side walls 4 and covers this area, completing the tent unit for the confinement of oxygen or other medicinal gases about the head i of the patient over whom the tent is placed. a

The top wall 5 is provided with a transparent window E, through which the condition of the patient may be constantly observed, and the flexible wall or sheet 2 has a window 9 therein for the same purpose.

The lower edges of the sideand back walls are provided with the inturned relatively broad flanges H) which rest upon the bed mattress or the springs, so as to form a firm base for the tent unit, and one side wall 5 has an opening I! therein which is covered or closed by the hingedly mounted door H2. The opposite side wall 4 has therein an opening it and below this there is a series of openings it which extend horizontally in the manner illustrated. These openings l4 are arranged between two horizontally disposed parallel guide flanges li'a between which is held a flat receptacle 16 in which an air purifying chemical of a suitable nature, such as carbon or soda lime, is placed. The receptacle I6 is flat, as previously stated, and has projecting therefrom in the plane of the wall thereof which lies against the adjacent wall 4, the flanges l 'I which slidably engage beneath the guides [5 so that the receptacle I 6 may be firmly held against the wall 4 in the manner illustrated and the wall l8 of the receptacle which may be referred to as the inner wall thereof, has openings I9 therein which coincide with the openings I4 for the purpose hereinafter pointed out. The bottom wall of the receptacle I6 which is indicated by the numeral 20, is provided with a series of screened openings 2|. With these openings in the bottom of the receptacle in the manner illustrated and the openings I9 adjacent the top thereof, it will be apparent that air entering the receptacle through the openings I9 must pass downwardly thru the purifying chemical before it can reach the outlets. A suitable filling opening 22 is provided in one end wall of the receptacle in the manner illustrated.

Disposed against the outer side of that wall 4 through which the openings I4 are formed, is a container 23 which is designed to receive ice or any other suitable cooling medium and which is provided adjacent its bottom with a drain 24. The upper part of the container 23 covers the openings I 4 and the adjacent wall 4 Serves the additional function of an inner wall for the ice container. Upon the top of the container 23 adjacent the rear thereof, there is mounted a fan or blower 25 which is operated by the electric motor 26 and this fan has its casing arranged to cover the opening l3 so that it will extract air from the upper part of the tent structure and discharge it downwardly through the top of the container 23 into the valve housing 21 which is provided with the bottom downwardly directed discharge opening 28 and the side discharge opening 29. The opening 29 faces toward the front of the casing 23 so that air passing therefrom will flow across the openings I4. Within the housing 2'! is a suitable valve or air deflecting blade 39 which, when in one position, will deflect the air discharged downwardly from the fan through the lateral opening 29, and when in the other position, will cause the air to pass downwardly through the opening 28 into the lower part of the casing, and this air will be forced to circulate around the ice or other cooling medium in the casing before it reaches the outlets I4. In either case, whether the air escapes by way of the opening 28 or the opening 29, it will pass through the openings I4 and into the receptacle I6 for passage through the purifying material in the receptacle before it enters the tent by way of the receptacle openings 2!. The shaft 3| on which the valve or deflector 30 is mounted extends through the outside wall of the casing 23 and is turned to form the handle or crank 32 which is frictionally in engagement with the edge of an arcuate flange 33 which is provided with a pair of notches 34 in one of which the lever engages to hold the deflector 30 in adjusted position.

At any suitable location in the upper part of the tent, the wall fi'through which the opening I3 is formed, has an oxygen inlet 35. This oxygen inlet opening 35 passes through a plate 36 which is mounted upon the outer side of the tent wall and which has inwardly turned guide flanges 3! which frictionally engage outwardly extending flanges 38 upon the two opposite sides of a box 39 to which the oxygen conducting tube 40 is attached. This box 39, being removably secured against the plate 38, provides a quick convenient means of coupling the oxygen tube with the tent when oxygen is to be administered, and in addi tion the box functions as an indicator of the fact that oxygen is flowing into the tent, by having a number of pith balls therein which are kept in constant motion by the flow of the gas through the box, and this motion can be ob-- served through the transparent front wall with which the box is provided. As will be apparent, the disposition of the oxygen inlet in the manner described results in the oxygen being immediately taken through the opening I3 by the fan and passed down through the ice container 23 and then the receptacle I6.

For convenience in handling the tent, the back Wall thereof is provided at the top With a ring 4| and the supporting wall 42 for the motor 26 has its upper portion formed as a loop 43 to facilitate handling this side of the unit.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that the oxygen tank unit embodying the present invention may be readily employed for administering purified cooled air as well as oxygen and also for administering any desired form of medicated air through the medium of the receptacle I6 and the casing 23.

What is claimed is:-

1. An improved tent of the character described, comprising a rigid walled casing having an open bottom, one of said casing walls having an air escape opening therethrough and an air inlet opening, a casing upon the exterior of said Wall in communication at one side with said inlet opening, a blower fan upon the top of said last casing having an inlet arranged over said escape opening and discharging into the second mentioned casing, and means in the second mentioned casing for deflecting air discharged thereinto along either of two paths whereby such air may be made to travel to the bottom of the second mentioned casing or laterally thereof before reaching said inlet opening.

2. An immproved tent of the character described, comprising a rigid walled casing having an open bottom, one of said casing walls having an air escape opening therethrough and an air inlet opening, a casing upon the exterior of said wall in communication at one side With said inlet opening, a blower fan upon the top of said last casing having an inlet arranged over said escape opening and discharging into the second mentioned casing, means in the second mentioned casing for deflecting air discharged thereinto along either of two paths whereby such air may be made to travel to the bottom of the secand mentioned casing or laterally thereof before reaching said inlet opening, and a chemical container detachably secured to the inner side of the wall through which the inlet opening is formed, over said inlet opening, said container having inlet and outlet openings and having the inlet opening thereof coinciding with the inlet of the adjacent wall.

3. A tent structure of the character described, comprising a casing having a top, side walls, and an open bottom, one of said side walls being provided with an air escape opening and an air inlet opening, a receptacle having opposite walls provided with openings, flanges formed integral with said receptacle, means carried by said apertured casing wall for slidably receiving said flanges whereby the inlet of the receptacle will be positioned over the casing wall inlet, means forming an air passageway between the casing wall outlet and the inlet thereof, and air circulating means in said passageway.

4. A tent structure of the character described, comprising a casing having a top wall, a back wall and side walls, said casing being open at its front and bottom, one of said side walls being provided with an air escape opening and an air inlet opening, a receptacle having opposite walls provided with openings, flanges formed integral with said receptacle, means carried by said apertured casing wall for slidably receiving said flanges whereby the inlet of the receptacle will be positioned over the casing wall inlet, means forming an air passageway between the casing wall outlet and the inlet thereof, air circulating means in said passageway, said passageway including a refrigerant casing, and means whereby air passing through the passageway may be directed over a refrigerant in the last mentioned casing or caused to flow directly to the casing wall inlet.

5. A tent of the character described, comprising a casing having rigid back, end and top walls and having an open front and bottom, said top Wall having a transparent panel therein, a flexible wall secured to the top wall to overlie said open front, one of said side Walls having an air exit opening and an air inlet, a pair of guides carried by said apertured wall adjacent to said exit opening, the said wall having an aperture therethrough between the guides, a box having flanges adapted for slidable engagement between said guides and having an outlet which is alined with the opening between the guides, means for attaching an oxygen tube to said box, means forming an air passageway between said exit opening and said inlet opening, and an air circulator in said passageway.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having back and side walls and a top wall and an open front and bottom, a sheet secured to the top wall to overlie the open front, a casing secured against the outer side of one side wall, said last side Wall having an opening therethrough leading from the upper part of the second mentioned casing and further having an air exit opening for the first mentioned casing, a blower including a housing having an inlet overlying said exit and having an outlet which is directed downwardly through the top of the second mentioned casing, the said blower outlet being disposed at one side of the opening between the casings, a valve housing into which said blower delivers air and having a downwardly directed outlet and a horizontally directed outlet, and a valve in said valve housing adapted for selectively directing air through the outlets.

7. A unitary oxygen tent, comprising a rigid casing having back and side walls and a top wall connected to the back and side walls, the front and bottom of the casing being open, a fabric wall connected to said top wall across the width of the casing and closing said open front, a box-like casing secured to and supported by one of said end walls, there being an air passage through the said one wall adjacent the top of the last casing and establishing communication between the casings, the lower part of said box-like casing being designed to house a refrigerating medium, a chemical containing receptacle mounted upon the inner side of the said one end wall and having an air inlet overlying said passage and an air outlet opening into the first casing, and means for withdrawing air from the first casing and discharging it into the second mentioned casing for return to the first casing by way of said chemical container.

8. A unitary oxygen tent, comprising a rigid casing having back and side walls and a top wall connected to the back and side walls, the front and bottom of the casing being open, a fabric wall connected to said top wall across the width of the casing and closing said open front, a box-like casing secured to and supported by one of said end walls, there being an air passage through the said one wall adjacent the top of the last casing and establishing communication between the casings, the lower part of said box-like casing being designed to house a refrigerating medium, a chemical containing receptacle mounted upon the inner side of the said one end wall and having an air inlet overlying said passage and an air outlet opening into the first casing, means for withdrawing air from the first casing and discharging it into the second mentioned casing for return to the first casing by way of said chemical container, and air flow control means for selectively directing the air into the said lower part of the box-like casing before it passes to said container or directing the air through the upper part of the second casing directly to the said air passage.

9. An improved tent for treating the sick, comprising a rigid casing having an open front and a bottom facilitating its disposition upon a bed over a patients head, a flexible wall unit secured to the casing over the open front thereof, one wall of said rigid casing having an opening therethrough, air circulating means forming a fixed part of the casing constructed and arranged to Withdraw air from the upper end of the casing and return it into the casing through said opening, and a chemical receptacle removably mounted within the casing over said wall opening upon the side of the wall opposite from said means and having an inlet coinciding with said opening and an outlet discharging into the casing.

10. A unitary oxygen tank, comprising a rigid walled casing, the bottom of the casing being open, a box-like casing secured to and supported upon a wall of the first casing, there being an air passage through the said wall adjacent the top of the second mentioned casing and establishing communication between the casings, the lower part of said box-like casing being designed to house a refrigerating medium, a chemical containing receptacle mounted upon the inner side of the said wall of the first casing and having an air inlet overlying said passage and an air outlet opening into the first casing, and means for withdrawing air from the first casing and discharging it into the second mentioned casing for return to the first casing by way of said chemical container.

JAMES C. STEINER. 

